Asbury Park Press 12/31/2000

Baltimore City Paper 12/27/2000

News-Record.com 12/21/2000

Jambands.com 12/8/2000

ZWire CD Release 11/09/2000

Asheville Citizen-Times 8/2000

MountainX 8/16/2000

Illinois Entertainer 8/12/2000

Guitar.com 7/10/2000

Article from:

Asbury Park Press

Pop goes 2000
Published in the Asbury Park Press 12/31/00
By KELLY-JANE COTTER
MUSIC WRITER

THE YEAR 2000 BEGAN with relief that all the computers behaved themselves and ended with flashbacks, as Bruce Springsteen played some of his earliest music in Asbury Park.

Far from being the year we'd all finally get our jet packs, 2000 turned out to be just a plain, regular year.

References to Y2K ended abruptly on Jan. 1. And few in the local music scene used the familiar acronym on album or song titles, with the exception of the Point Pleasant-based Airplay label, which released a snappy compilation called "Pop2K."

This was an especially productive year for local bands. Among the zillions who released CDs this year were Stormin' Norman Seldin, Evelyn Forever, Danny White, The Lemongrass Band, Latshaw, Project Object, The Alice Project, The Smartys, Flatus, Mike Ping, Venus Butterfly, Soulfarm, Paxton, 7 Minds, Billy Lawlor and Boccigalupe and The Badboys.

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:


SATURDAY: Zappaphiles take note: Rumor has it that Frank Zappa repertory band Project/Object is going to reprise the maestro's complete Joe's Garage opus in New York on New Year's Eve. Rumor also has it that the band's gig tonight at the 8 x 10, with vocalist Ike Willis, will serve as a Joe warmup.

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:


Project/Object carrying on Zappa legacy.

12/21/2000
By JEFFREY HAHNE, Staff Writer
News & Record

Tribute bands exist all over the country, but rarely do the bands have the opportunity to perform with the people who they are emulating.

Project/Object, a Frank Zappa tribute band from the New York-New Jersey area, is one band that had that chance. The band will pull into Winston-Salem Wednesday and perform with Ike Willis, a longtime member of Zappa's band who become known as Joe from "Joe's Garage," a 1980 album that become one of Zappa's most famous works.

"The only reason I play with them, first of all, is because they can pull off the material," Willis said. "Then it comes down to not only can they play the material, but how well can they play it. You can fake it. It has to be played correctly.

"People usually think it isn't going to be anything special when they come to a show, but they leave with tears in their eyes."

Willis, now 45, played with Zappa from 1978 until 1993. When Zappa died in 1994, Willis was handed the torch to continue the Zappa legacy.

"(Frank) told me to do this. So I don't feel guilty about if I should be doing this," Willis said. "He called me and told me to come to his house before he died. He told me, '(Keeping the music going) is on you. I want you to do it.'"

Willis took those comments to heart. He has played with numerous tribute bands -- from the Muffin Men and Banned from Utopia, which he helped start. Now, Willis is with Project/Object.

Project/Object began about 10 years ago, when Andre Cholmondeley began to hold parties at his house and play Zappa music on Zappa's birthday.

"One of the current drummers, Umbo, and I were in another band, and it came out of the ashes of that," Cholmondeley said. "We played a local club in NJ until we started to get invited to other places, like New York."

Through their performances around the Northeast, the band picked up fans and performers. That includes Willis.

"I met Ike in '84 on the Zappa tour, just walking around before the show," Cholmondeley said. "In '88, when they toured again, I went to about nine shows and eventually just started hanging out with him on tour. From '88 to '95, we stayed in touch -- I'd call him once a year or so."

Then came Cholmondeley's chance meeting with Willis in 1995.

"In '95, Banned From Utopia played in New York City. I met up with Ike there and told him I was in a Zappa tribute band. I sent him a tape of the band, and he loved it. He said, 'Send me a plane ticket and we'll do some gigs."

The rest is history, as they say.

Playing on tour with Zappa, Willis had to know the whole range of the Zappa catalog, so Project/Object's varying set is nothing new. The band will play music from the early years just as easily as the later ones.

"(The band) seems to gel with 'Zomby Woof,' 'Echidnas Arf (Of You),' 'Inca Roads,' 'Keep it Greasy' and so many more," Cholmondeley said.

Willis isn't the only former Zappa bandmate that Project/Object has gotten the chance to perform with. Some of the others are Mike Keneally, Jimmy Carl Black and Denny Walley.

"As soon as we started playing with Ike, the ball was rolling, and we realized that it was something that Zappa alumni were really psyched about," Cholmondeley said. "When I do talk to the alumni they are really touched that people still want to go out and see this music live. Some of them are blown away, saying, 'This music is so beyond what I ever thought, and I used to be in the band.' That's great to hear."

Willis feels that the music performed by Project/Object is just as tight as it was with Zappa himself.

"The only person missing is Frank," Willis said. "I'm still playing my parts, and the others play what they're supposed to play. I want people to go away feeling the same way they did at the last Zappa concert they saw. Then I know I'm doing my job."

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:

JamBands.com Online Music Magazine

Project Object to Cover Joe's Garage on New Year's Eve

12/08/2000

Project Object, featuring special guest Ike Willis, will perform at Lion’s Den in New York City on New Year’s Eve. The band has announced plans to perform the classic Frank Zappa album Joe’s Garage, in its entirety. The group’s line-up features original Zappa guitarist Willis, Rick Bartow (bass), Jeff Breedlove (keyboards), André Cholmondeley (guitar), Robbie Mangano (guitar), Mumbo (drums, percussion), Wes Paich (drums, keys, percussion) and Jordan Shapiro (keyboards). Tickets are on sale now through Ticketweb.

Project Object kicks off it’s New Year’s run December 27 at Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem, NC. For the complete itinerary, visit www.projectobject.com/tourdates.

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:


Project Object at Upstage

- Project Object, of Frank Zappa reinvention, previews its long-awaited CD at a Nov. 9 gig at the Upstage. On Nov. 14, Project Object releases "Absolutely Live: Project/Object with Special Guest Ike Willis," recorded at the Wetlands in New York last summer. All tunes on the CD are Frank Zappa originals except the 11-minute closer, "King Kong/KK Improv," an original jam session that includes -- you guessed it -- a Zappa intro and big finish.Upstage is located at 22 South Thirds St. The show starts at 9:30.

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:

PROJECT/OBJECT PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF THE GREAT FRANK ZAPPA
By Jonathan Price, CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT

Almost seven years later, Project/Object mastermind Andre Cholmondeley still has vivid memories of the day Frank Zappa passed away. Because it was the day that everything became a lot more lucid.

"When Frank died, the music moved to a new level for us," said Cholmondeley. "The mission suddenly became multiplied."

So for the better part of the 1990s, Project/Object's mission has been both humble and exceedingly challenging: to faithfully recreate the humorous, musically honed, jaw-dropping, stop-on-a-dime, genre-stomping sonic mural that could only be a Frank Zappa performance.

But before the mission was entirely clear, Project/Object was playing as part of an annual "24-hour multimedia Zappa immersion" to celebrate the birthday of their hero. The first few gatherings took place in the basement of Cholmondeley's New Jersey home, but as the word spread and their Zappa repertoire expanded, the event was moved to a local club.

Ever since those initial birthday tributes spawned a following for Project/Object, the band has gigged heavily in the New York/New Jersey area, with recent forays into the Midwest. Their upcoming show at Stella Blue marks the band's first swing through the Southeast - they will also be hitting Atlanta and other points in North Carolina.

In addition to exposing a younger generation of music lovers to the impossibly eclectic sounds of a Zappa concert, Project/Object also gets a kick out of having older fans reconnect with the experience that initially sucked them in and blew their minds. And in many ways, Cholmondeley and his bandmates are right there with the awestruck audience.

"I got hooked during college in the early 1980s," said Cholmondeley. "Even now, Frank's diversity remains an amazing discovery."

Project/Object strives to harness this diversity by performing shows that are energetic, unpredictable and authentic. And a key ingredient of authenticity is added by former Zappa guitarist/vocalist Ike Willis. Beyond the obvious thrill of performing with a man who played an active role in the Zappa legacy, Cholmondeley basks in the light of Willis' substantial, but sometimes overlooked, guitar skills.

"Ike is a killer guitarist," said Cholmondeley. "People are surprised." However, when faced with the prospect of seeing Project/Object, fans should not be surprised by a show that pulses with the essence of Zappa, while also weaving new and unexpected song juxtapositions throughout the course of the evening.

"We're trying to adhere to the ethic of the 'You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore' recordings," said Cholmondeley. "Our motto is, 'Yes, you can do it on stage.' Jamming, composition and curse words."

The band is serious about this ethic of unlimited exploration, and they have managed to succeed in a daunting task that Zappa himself never even accomplished: performing a meticulously rehearsed, start to finish rendition of "Joe's Garage" at a live performance.

As with any other artist whose sustenance and satisfaction relies heavily on the concert experience, Cholmondeley is quick to credit the fans for playing an integral role in keeping the spirit alive.

"Frank Zappa fans are a demanding bunch," said Cholmondeley. "But I'm proud to say that we specialize in having people say, 'I can't believe it!' The main emotion is gratitude."

Project/Object has performed a handful of shows where this gratitude will increase tenfold, taking on nearly supernatural proportions. "On our good nights, I think Frank is smiling on us," said Cholmondeley.

"During really special shows, I'll even say into the mic that Frank was in the room tonight."

WHO: Project/Object with guitarist Ike Willis, performing the music of Frank Zappa

WHEN: 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17

WHERE: Stella Blue, 31 Patton Ave.

HOW MUCH: $10 advance, $12 day of show

:. Back to Top .:

Article from:

August 2000

Frankly speaking, Ike Willis and Project/Object carry on.

by Robin Tolleson

It's one thing to imitate the Beatles or Elvis or Van Halen, or to rake in the big dough with a Rod Stewart or Neil Diamond or Grateful Dead cover band. But Project/Object is a Frank Zappa tribute act, and that's a different animal altogether. This is about as chops-busting a musical endeavor as you'll find anywhere short of the circus pit: Do not try this at home. Really.

"It's demanding, and it does keep us up late at night learning all the little tricks and stuff," allows Project/Object guitarist Andre Cholmondeley.

When Zappa lost his battle with colon cancer on Dec. 4, 1993, Project/Object had already been celebrating his music for four years. "We used to play an annual Frank Zappa party at my house," Cholmondeley recalls. "We would just get together, listen to Zappa music, party up a bit, and play whatever Zappa records we had. Then we started playing a few songs. We'd do that every year at my house, and it got to where 200 people would show up for this thing. Then we moved it to a club, and once a year we would play to celebrate his birthday. We did two of them before he died. Then it took on a whole different urgency. All of a sudden we were memorializing, rather than celebrating."

Project/Object features Robert "Seahag" Mangano and Andre Cholmondeley on guitars, Wes Paich and Mumbo on drums and keyboards, Rick Bartow on bass, and Jordan Shapiro on keyboards. Everyone sings – and for the fourth year, former Zappa guitarist/vocalist Ike Willis will be touring with the band.

"They're fantastic," says Willis, who was Zappa's voice (beginning with 1979's classic Joe's Garage) until 1993. More specifically, the singer appreciates the thoroughness of the Jersey-based group:

"These guys do a great job, and they cover every era. My favorite era used to be the Roxy Band, with the Fowler Brothers, but it varies. ... Crowds are very, very responsive, and we've got each generation. People are bringing their kids and grandkids. It's still happening!"

In the world of rock 'n' roll, Zappa stood out as an accomplished composer, prolific producer, wicked satirist and serious guitarslinger. In fact, Zappa is one of only two artists (Jimi Hendrix being the other) to have been inducted into both the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Cholmondeley's introduction to Zappa was hearing the signature "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" on the radio, but it wasn't until the guitarist got to college and someone played him the Zoot Allures album that he was officially hooked.

"That was a record [Zappa] did pretty much in his basement. A lot of it is him fooling around with home instruments. It's a weird record, a short record, and when I heard that my whole world exploded. It was just, 'This is the guy.'" Cholmondeley immediately began taping every Zappa album he could get his hands on.

"Every area of music that I love, the guy is right there," the guitarist enthuses. "I love 20th-century music – Varèse, Stockhausen, Copland – and bang, Zappa possesses that too, and intelligently, not just in a touristy way. He knows what he's talking about with 12-tone music. I like electronic music – Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk and Phillip Glass – and bingo, Frank gets out there and does this album which really stands up to scrutiny years later [Jazz From Hell, 1986]. So really everything that I liked about different forms of music, I was getting from this guy."

Project/Object tries to cover as much of Zappa's musical terrain as possible, including bits from his first record, Freak Out [Verve, 1966], songs from his final world tour of 1988, songs from Yellow Shark [Barking Pumpkin, 1993], released one month before his death – and everything in between.

Sometimes, the band performs a Zappa album in its entirety. John Swenson of UPI remembers their full-length performance of Joe's Garage at the Lion's Den in Greenwich Village: "A handful of Zappa tribute bands perpetuate his music, but the group that comes closest to capturing the spirit of his live performances is Project/Object."

Zappa's band always seemed to include a guy he would label "impossible guitarist" – a Steve Vai or Mike Kinnealy or Warren Cucurrulo that could realize his ridiculously difficult guitar parts at will. "In our band, we call Robert Mangano our 'impossible guitarist,'" says Cholmondeley. "He's got a great ear and a great musical mind."

With crowds continuing to grow and the musical support of former Zappa band members like Willis, Kinnealy, Cucurrulo and Denny Walling, it's likely this Project will continue:

"It's funny, because a couple of us are right on the brink of breaking into professional music," claims Cholmondeley. "For some of us it's a hobby, and some of us are actually looking to expand. We all do other music and play with other bands, and we write original music and perform it, and some of us are even in bands together on the side. [But] covers are never going to go away. People have a fascination, myself included, with going out and seeing cover bands. The music is what you want to hear. It's great to see the original guys do it, but if they're not around, or they don't tour, I think it's great. I go see cover bands all the time – both on a professional level, to take notes, see what works and doesn't work, but also just to enjoy it."

Confiding that even Zappa himself lost a lot of money taking bands out on the road, Cholmondeley calls Project/Object "a labor of love." Clearly smitten by the sheer diversity of Zappa's own projects, Cholmondeley also reveres the message behind the music: "He wasn't afraid to say some pretty pointed stuff politically and socially, and that attracted me, too."

:. Back to Top .:

Article from: guitar.com


 
Project/Object
Saturday, August 12 Martyrs, Chicago

By Michael C. Harris

Frank Zappa fans will want to check out east coast tribute band Project/Object, who have been keeping the man's music alive since he stopped being so. This is Project/Object's first tour outside their native northeast, where they've garnered an impressive following and accolades from reviewers. On tour with them is none other than Zappa band alumnus Ike Willis, who will be singing (obviously) and playing guitar, which he excels at as well (as anyone who ever saw Willis play with Zappa can attest). The band will play two shows -- one at 10 p.m. and one at midnight. Call (773) 404-9869 for tickets.

:. Back to Top .:

Article from: guitar.com

Project/Object to Unite with Zappa Vocalist-Guitarist Ike Willis as Special Guest for Summer 2000 U.S. Tour

7/10/2000
New York - PROJECT/OBJECT, the "Mother" of live Frank Zappa reinvention, is mounting an extensive summer tour featuring the soulful vocal hysterics of a beloved Zappa band original.

IKE WILLIS, embraced by Zappa fans worldwide for his lead roles on seminal Zappa projects such as "Joe's Garage" and "Thingfish," will join PROJECT/OBJECT as special guest on its three-week theater and club tour of the Northeast and Midwest as a precursor to the band's first coast-to-coast U.S. tour in the fall.

Most of the cities on the summer tour will be first-time hosts to the antics of PROJECT/OBJECT, which is rapidly gaining notoriety for its onstage dedication to its singular mission -- to perpetuate the music of one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. Though the band has been a popular live attraction since Zappa's untimely passing in the early '90s, it's only been in the past two years that PROJECT/OBJECT has been expanding its touring base to meet fan demand well beyond its home turf in New Jersey and New York. More and more new fans too young to have savored the legend first-hand continue to join older Zappa fans in witnessing PROJECT/OBJECT acutely recreate the unique fun and excitement of the Frank Zappa concert experience. PROJECT/OBJECT performs music from every era of Zappa's prolific career.

PROJECT/OBJECT has played in the past with other Zappa alumni, including Mike Kineally and Warren Cucurullo. Zappa-related musicians such as Jerry Cucurullo (Dweezil Zappa), Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart), and Ed Palermo have also joined PROJECT/OBJECT on stage. PROJECT/OBJECT will continue to collaborate with more and more Zappa alumni as they continue to be drawn to the band's mounting respect within the Zappa community.

IKE WILLIS toured the world six times with Frank Zappa and was the voice of his music for 14 years (1979-93), making him one of the most durable Zappa sidemen. Although best known for his incredible vocal ability, Willis is also an astonishing guitarist whose style blends Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai.

:. Back to Top .: